Unprecedented Changes in Marijuana Policy

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The marijuana policy landscape changed dramatically in 2014. In January the legal sale of Marijuana for nonmedical purposes began in the U.S. state of Colorado. Six months later retail sales also began in Washington state. In November voters in Washington, D.C., and the states of Alaska and Oregon passed initiatives to liberalize their marijuana laws. Those changes were not limited to the U.S.; Uruguay also started implementing its new marijuana legalization law passed in 2013. Indeed, for those seeking to liberalize marijuana policies, 2014 was a breakthrough year.

legal cannabis store in SeattleOn July 8, 2014, opening day of Washington state's first licensed retail outlet for recreational marijuana, Cannabis City in Seattle, Vivian McPeak, the organizer of Seattle Hempfest, the city's annual marijuana “protestival,” poses in exultation outside the store with the pot that he just purchased.Jim Bryant—UPI/Landov

Legality of Marijuana in the U.S.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world. For thousands of years it has been consumed for therapeutic, recreational, and spiritual purposes. Some countries began prohibiting marijuana in the late 19th century, and by the latter half of the 20th century, most countries were signatories to international drug conventions that required that the production and distribution of marijuana for nonmedical or nonresearch purposes be prosecuted as a criminal offense.

In the United States the production, distribution, and possession of marijuana are prohibited by the federal Controlled Substances Act, which was signed into law by Pres. Richard Nixon in 1970. Under this federal law marijuana is considered a Schedule 1 drug, which means that it has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Until recently all states also had laws prohibiting marijuana. State and local law-enforcement agencies continue to make hundreds of thousands of arrests for marijuana offenses each year, despite the changing legal climate. Many of those arrests involve only small amounts of marijuana intended for personal consumption. Typically, the federal government pursues only marijuana cases that involve the possession of large quantities of the drug, growing or importing marijuana, or being caught on federal lands while in possession of the drug.

The prospect of legalizing marijuana in order to permit commercial companies or other types of organizations to produce and distribute it has remained a controversial issue. Several arguments are made on both sides of the debate. Those supporting legalization often argue that states should be collecting taxes from marijuana sales rather than allowing those revenues to enrich criminals in the black market. Legalization advocates also argue that marijuana users should not be at risk of incurring a criminal record for using a drug that proponents describe as being safer than alcohol. Those opposed to legalization argue that the increase in marijuana use resulting from legal availability and lower prices will increase dependence and other negative health consequences, such as contributing to a rise in individuals experiencing psychotic symptoms. Opponents also fear that marijuana will be marketed in the same manner as alcohol and that there will be a new industry with lobbyists who would fight against regulation and taxation (or, for that matter, that existing tobacco companies might enter this line of business).

A number of countries and U.S. states have decriminalized marijuana possession—which entails a reduction in the penalties for the possession of a small amount to a civil offense more akin to a traffic ticket rather than a criminal offense (with the potential for incarceration)—or have made allowances for the supply of medical marijuana. These policy choices are distinct from legalization. Public support in the U.S. for legalizing marijuana has nearly doubled over the past 20 years, and a number of national polls suggest that approximately half of the country supports the legalization of marijuana use by adults.

In November 2012 voters in Colorado and Washington passed ballot initiatives that removed the prohibition on the use of marijuana for those aged 21 and older and allowed for-profit companies to produce, distribute, and sell marijuana. This move was unprecedented and went far beyond the Netherlands’ marijuana policy, which tolerates retail sales but mandates as illegal the production and distribution of wholesale quantities. Thus, when Uruguay’s Pres. José Mujica signed a bill in December 2013 to legalize marijuana, the action resulted in Uruguay’s becoming the first country in the world to remove the prohibition and experiment with legalization at the national level.

Authorities in Colorado and Washington spent months deliberating about how to regulate the market and processing license applications before stores began selling recreational marijuana. Regardless of residency, anyone aged 21 years or older can walk into one of these stores and purchase dried marijuana buds, prerolled joints, marijuana-infused edibles, e-cigarette devices that contain a marijuana solution (often referred to as “hash oil”), and other related products. Both states limit the amount that can be purchased at one time, and Colorado has lower limits for nonresidents than for state residents. Colorado also allows those over 21 years old to grow up to six cannabis plants at home for personal use.

Although Colorado and Washington are generating millions of dollars in tax revenues from legal marijuana, all of this activity remains illegal under federal law. In August 2013 the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a memorandum stating that it would tolerate state-legal marijuana activities as long as they have “strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems that will address the threat that those state laws could pose to public safety, public health, and other law enforcement interests.” The memo made it clear that marijuana remained illegal under federal law and provided guidance to federal prosecutors about when they should pursue a marijuana case. A number of federal enforcement priorities were listed, such as preventing distribution to minors and preventing the diversion of marijuana to other states. This DOJ directive sent a signal to Colorado and Washington, as well as to other states and countries, that Pres. Barack Obama’s administration was willing to tolerate these experiments under certain conditions. However, those federal enforcement priorities can be changed or reversed by President Obama or any future president at any time.

In November 2014 voters in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., passed ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana, albeit in different ways. Voters in Alaska and Oregon authorized the creation of a for-profit industry, similar to those already implemented in Colorado and Washington. The initiative that passed in Washington, D.C., allows only home production, sharing, and personal possession for adults.

Uruguay’s new marijuana law allows residents aged 18 and older to choose from one of three supply options: grow cannabis plants at home, join a growing collective, or purchase marijuana from a pharmacy. Unlike legislation in the U.S. states, however, Uruguay’s law bans marijuana advertising and requires those seeking to obtain legal marijuana to register with the government.

The differing regulations underscore the fact that jurisdictions considering alternatives to marijuana prohibition have a number of options to consider. Although the legalization discussion in the U.S. has largely focused on the for-profit “regulate like alcohol” approach, there are many intermediate options between that and prohibition. Jurisdictions could limit production to nonprofit organizations controlled by boards with representatives from public health and child-welfare agencies or restrict licenses to businesses that are certified as socially responsible. Or they could limit supply to small-scale cooperatives that sell only to its members, such as Spanish “cannabis clubs” or Dutch coffee shops. Some jurisdictions may want to create a state-authorized monopoly that would allow the government to control the market; this approach does not garner much attention in the U.S. because of the federal prohibition. State employees producing and selling marijuana under a monopoly system could be at risk of arrest by federal law-enforcement officers.

At this point it is much too early to determine whether legalization in Colorado and Washington will be net-beneficial for those states. Much will depend on what outcomes are considered and how much weight is assigned to each. This uncertainty is not stopping some legalization proponents from pushing for additional changes. There are serious conversations about putting a proposition for the legalization of marijuana on the ballot in California in 2016. Given the size of California’s marijuana market, its cultural significance, and its proximity to Mexico, advocates on both sides of the debate are gearing up for a battle. Proponents want to delay the introduction of the measure until 2016, because during a presidential election year younger voters, who tend to be more supportive of legalization, are usually more apt to vote.

In addition, there are discussions about putting a proposal for the legalization of marijuana on the ballot in Massachusetts, Nevada, and some other states. There is also the possibility that a state could pass a legalization bill through the normal legislative process. Whether those proposals will focus on the for-profit commercial model or an alternative approach remains to be seen.